Gombe: COAS calls for inter-agency cooperation to tackle insecurity

Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Farouk Yahaya, has called for the sustenance of synergy and inter-agency cooperation among government agencies and security services to enhance security in Gombe state.

Lieutenant General Yahaya stated this during a visit to Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, on the sideline of his operational tour of army formations and units across the country since his appointment in May this year.

He said the army would continue to improve on its role by taking all necessary actions, including synergising with other security services and stakeholders to improve the security situation in the state.

For Governor Yahaya, the presence of the Chief of Army Staff to Gombe State gives the state a sense of security and belonging, by complementing the work of the government and people of the state.

He asked for the quick easy relocation of 301 Brigade Barracks to its new and permanent site, so as to enable the full deployment of facilities to ensure peace and security of the state and improve the army’s timely operations, within the North East.

“Much as they are making efforts, a lot also has to come from the state government and we shall do so. Because I believe that by the time you move out there with full facilities, maybe it will be time to be a brigade and not an Artillery Regiment. And that will even help the Nigerian Army a lot, because of our location, centrally located, you could move with ease to any location in the North East,” Governor Yahaya said.

He said the making efforts to meet the request of the Chief of Defence Staff, who sought the state government’s to facilitate additional space to expand the Deradicalisation and Rehabilitation Programme in the state for more training and retraining of repentant and deradicalised Boko Haram combatants.

Governor Yahaya, however, requested support from the Federal Government to provide a permanent orientation camp for members of the National Youth Service Corps, whose place was sacrificed for the deradicalisation programme.

“Mr President has given the approval for us to be re-embursed and unless it is done, we cannot say it is done. So, we urge you to support us in that regard.”

Before the visit to the Governor, the COAS had received a brief from the  Commander 301  Regiment, Col John Mbanefo on the activities of the Regiment.

Addressing troops of the Regiment, General Yahaya expressed appreciation for their selfless sacrifices and urged them to remain steadfast in the conduct of their operations to maintain peace and security in their area of responsibility.

He assured them that all logistics concerns of the Regiment would receive prompt and due attention.

PIAK